1. Field of the Invention
The present invention concerns branching electrical connectors having two jaws, clamping means for clamping the jaws together and at least two parallel channels defined by the jaws, one for a first or main cable from which the branch connection is to be made and the other for a second or branch cable to be connected to the first cable.
The invention is more particularly, but not exclusively, directed to branching electrical connectors of this kind in which the clamping means normally close both channels simultaneously without distinguishing between them, at least one of the jaws incorporating at least one contact member adapted to engage with both the channels and therefore with both the cables disposed therein, establishing an electrical bridge between them.
2. Description of the Prior Art
These branching connectors are generally called parallel jaw branching connectors or non-separate branch cable branching connectors.
Branching connectors of this type are described in French patent No. 2 155 349 and French patent No. 2 601 516 to French patent No. 2 566 191.
In practise, because each of the jaws of a branching connector of this kind functions simultaneously in both the parallel channels that the jaws define between them, at least one jaw has to be capable of tilting movement relative to the other when they are clamped up to cater for the situation (which happens to be the most usual situation encountered in practise) where the cables to be clamped are of different diameters.
To achieve this the clamping means for the jaws usually comprise at least one fastening rod which passes through one of them by means of an enlarged passage in which it can "tilt" as the assembly is clamped up.
The same applies if the clamping means comprise two parallel fastening rods.
When the jaws are clamped up they first engage the larger diameter cable, usually the main cable, and then after relative tilting between them they engage the smaller diameter cable, usually the branch cable.
This arrangement has the advantage of relatively economical implementation but the disadvantage that the branching connectors are relatively inconvenient or even difficult to fit to the electrical cables to be joined.
When the jaws of a branching connector of this kind are sufficiently open (as is necessary for insertion of the cables to be connected into the channels that they delimit, especially when, as is usually the case for the main cable, this fitting has to be done to a "passing" cable, by which is meant a continuous line cable or conductor) they are totally unrestricted in terms of movement relative to each other and they therefore tend to close upon each other in a disorderly way, as a result of their own weight if for no other reason, and they then approach each other either correctly or, what is worse, skewed relative to each other, which usually happens if the clamping means comprise only one assembly rod.
As a result the fitter who has to make a branch connection from a main cable must, when the jaws of the branching connector to be used for this purpose have been opened sufficiently, be able to close temporarily the branching connector by hand onto the main cable and simultaneously introduce into the connector the branch cable to be connected to the main cable, then to hold the resulting assembly together by hand, and finally to clamp up the jaws of the branching connector; given that the main cable is generally a line cable, the fitter is often in an uncomfortable position, (for example at the top of a ladder or post, so that he can reach the line cable directly), and what is more is usually wearing the regulation gloves, which render his gestures less accurate.
It is obvious that in such circumstances the operations to be performed are difficult to carry out.
The same applies when the branching connector is fitted to the main cable remotely (e.g. from the ground), using a pole, which is another situation that may well arise.
A general objective of the present invention is to provide an arrangement to facilitate these operations.